Do I need an auto bilge? Do I need an auto bilge? Do I need an auto bilge? Do I need an auto bilge?
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  1. #11

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    I wouldn't keep a boat in the water without an auto bilge if I was away at all. (If nothing else I would be worrying all the time) I added a second pump two year's ago. Also have two batteries. Each bilge is direct wired to a separate battery so it is a totally redundant system. Some folks T both outlets together, but I went out the opposite side of the gunnel with the second hose for complete separation. So even a hose break or one pump failing still leaves me with a complete system. The original bilge is on a float switch and also wired to a console switch. The second new one is the auto-sensing so was an easy install. For not a lot of money you could install a float switch on what you have and an auto sense backup.

    I was a little leery of the auto sensing at first. It kicks on every minute or so, for a second or two, to sense for water. I was worried about it draining the battery, but that hasn't been a problem. Seems to work fine, going on my third year now. Only negative, when you are anchored perch fishing you can hear it cycle on and off (a hum). Just a little bit annoying, but have got used to it. The plus with that is I always know my bilge is working and you don't have to worry about the float hanging up. And out there in rough water, having two pumps is peace of mind.

  2. #12

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    Additional story... last summer saw a boat in the dock across the channel from mine that kept puking out water from the bilge outlet. Figured something wasn't right, so drove around and headed over to check it out. The guy had left his washdown pump on by accident. The wash hose had then split and was spraying all over the inside of the boat. Then the bilge was pumping it overboard. I headed to the office and we rounded the owner up. There probably wasn't any danger of sinking, because it likely would have quit pumping same time the battery powering the bilge ran down. But what if that bilge hadn't had an auto switch? Or what if it was a drain plug leak, or some other live well hose failure, or such, which eventually would have run the battery down. At least two batteries gives you a little longer chance for someone to see it.

  3. #13
    Join Date
    Jul 2016
    Location
    Wooster, OH
    Posts
    176

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    Very good points LEfriend!!

  4. #14

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    As everyone else has said, don't leave your boat in the water without an automatic switch. Also, don't leave it at the dock without plugging in the shore power and turning on your charger. If something like LEfriend mentioned happens and nobody notices or there's heavy rain you'll have a problem on your hands.

    And, credit to Wakina on this one, clean your bilge regularly during mayfly season. Those little suckers will burn out a pump in a hurry.

    Just as an aside, our boat has a self draining deck and technically shouldn't ever have any water in the bilge. It always had water in there last year and it took us until the end of the season to find the leak. If our pump wasn't automatic or we didn't leave the on-board charger plugged in while we were away we might not have a boat that floats anymore.

  5. #15
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    Mansfield Ohio
    Posts
    675

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    Not all docks have shore power, or boats have built in chargers. Under normal conditions neither of those should be needed. A standard boat battery that is in good state should have plenty of power to run the pump. Now if you will be gone a few months might be differant. If you boat does not have 2 batteries this would be a good time to think of it. I leave 1 on and keep the other off so if my battery is dead the other will start it.

    Now if your top does its job correctly, you have it good and water proofed and sealed up, your boat should not get tons of water in.

    Every bildge is differant in size too. My 19ft er only holds a few gallons before it kicks on. My 27 ft er will run for 5 mins at a time when it turns on.
    Last edited by branhamautomotive; 02-15-2017 at 05:30 PM. Reason: Typos

  6. #16

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    With no shore power it is good to get to know a few people in your marina. I get asked quite a bit if I could go to so and so's boat to turn on all batteries and run it for 15 minutes or more to give the batteries a little boost if the owner is not going to make it up for a few weeks. I got no problem with that as long as you bring me some nice delicious Keystone Light when you do make it back up.

    I agree with everybody here about the auto bilges, I do differ though on the fact that I do prefer the manual float switches over the internal auto switches. In a lot of installations you have no choice and have to use those self contained auto switches. I find I need to replace those internal switch ones a whole lot more then a basic manual bilge with a separate manual switch. Yeah you got to get in there and clean the float off ever once in a while but I find when certain undesirables get up into those auto bilges they get really messed up.

    The good news is just about every decent bilge has a good warranty on it, so basically when they do go bad it is normally no money out of pocket, just the time and labor to replace it. Depending on the location of said bilge though, time and labor could be a real issue.


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